Automatic stabilizer for aeroplanes.



T. WINDEL.

AUTOMATIC STABILIZER FOR AEROPLANES.

APPLICATION FILED OGT.8, 1912.

Patented Nov. 18, 1913 THEODORE WINDEII, F BEQOKLYN", NEW YORK.

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fieclfimtidn of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 18. 1913.

Application filed October a, .1912. Serial no. 724,524.

To all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, 'Tnsononn W NDiEL, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the borough ofBrooklyn, in tbecounty of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and- Improve: ments in Automatic Stabilizers for Aeroplanes, of which the following is a specification.

and my improvements have This inventionrelates to flyin machines part cular reference, to means provided in, conJHnctmn with an aeroplane whereby stabilitythereof is automatically insured, and whereby the aeroplane is caused to becomeautomatically or vertically tiltcdtoward that side ofrthe machine describing the larger circle in makinga. turn, the aeroplane resumingthe horizontal position upon again taking a straight line of flight; I

' In carrying out my invention I have recourse to certain members, appliedpto an aeroplane, which function-according to the pressures applied thereon, and which are set to correct equilibrium-disturbing tenddisks d e respectively,

encies as and when developed.

In brief my improvement may besaid to comprise a plane member, of suitable contour, pivotally supported on a flying ma-. chine in such manner that the pressure represented. by a certainvelocity .of-movement through the atmosphere willa'ctuate said member to direct thatm'o vement of the rect the movement of machinegin one angle, while'the pressure representedby a different velocity will dithe machine in a different angle. g

The instrumentalities employed byme for controlling longitudinal and lateral balance stabilizing device,

are of I like character and arrangement, though necessarily positioned difi'erently in the service of their respective functions; Through their means I propose to control the angle of flight solely by the speed of the motor or the degree of pressure met by with the safety factor that if the motor. should become stalled the elevator will be automatically caused to direct the machine to its normal gliding angle, while maintaining the predetermined forward speed. I V a In the drawing: Figure 1 is a top plan; view, of theaeroplane having my improved and with the upper supportin plane partly'broken away; Fig. 2 is a si e elevation of the same, and Fig. 3

vdirections and at will obviously want sure upon t e plates p is equivalent to 9.

sets eed, assay, 30- mi es an hour. If the be greater than the setrate the, ma-

is a detail of one of the balancing elevator planes.

For example I have shown my balancing or stabilizing device asapplied to a biplane, it being oval disks or planes ranged in a horizontal plane, transversely having the usual supof'thcframe, and are respectively supported,

as by rods d e, to on'e end of which rods they are, secured, as at their under surfaces, said rods extending obliquely in opposite 7 equal angles, opposed, from said disks,

at d 6 rods may haveadditional supports as d e, on the frame, in which they are free to turn.

Projecting from the upper surfaces of are vertical, pressure receiving plates f 9,, said plates bein re-' spective ynear the outer lateraledges- 0 said disks, whereby pressure applied against the forward surfaces of said plates. will cause them to turn their respective disks Id e 0ppositely, the inner lateral edges of said disks inclining forwardly and downwardl 1 in this turning action. The eflect is to irec't the aeroplane upwardly. I Increased engine speed, or increased-pressure upon plates f g accentuatev the ascending angleof flight, the disks d 'e acting ascrdinary elevators in this respect.

The disks of e are seen to be hitched together at their forward vedges as by a tensional or yielding connector b. 'By means of this character the disksare normally held with their forward edges slanting slightly upward, which is the correct position in starting. As pressure increases upon plates f g the angle of incidence of said disks changes and the machine ascends. It is my purpose to set and adjust the disks d e wit plates e su porting planes when the see scend. In this manner therefore the vertiobvious however that the device may also be employed with other types In said example a inand finding pivotal en gagement at their free ends in the frame, as For purposes of reinforcement said 9 so thatsaid disks will be parallel pres- 0 inc will rise, if less, the machine, will dej calinclination of forward travel can be controlled and regulated through the speed of respectively, provided with vertical plates,

as Z, which may extend rearwardly from said disks in the manner 'of vertical tails, or may be otherwise suitably disposed relatively to said plates. The'function of the plates is Z is to respond to the influence of lateral pressure, turning the disks in yielding and thereby causing the disks to direct their forward edges upwardly or downwardly as the case may be.

In the instance of the aviator swinging the rudder to make a rig'ht hand turn, for example, it is necessary that the machine be banked toward the left. This will be accomplished automatically by the pressure met by the leftsurfaces of plates 70 Z, swinging said plates toward the right and thereby turning the left disk with its forward edge directed upwardly and the right disk with its forward edge directed downwardly, thus causing the machine to tilt or bank at its left side. When the rudder is straightened out again the pressure against plates 0 Z is relieved andthe machine resumes its horizontal position. Naturally the action is reversed when making a turn to the left.

Obviously an aeroplane equipped with disks like those indicated at z j will possees an unusual degree of inherent stability because the application of an excess of pressure at one side of the machine, as in dropping sidewise, will cause the plates k l to swing away from that pressure, in which act the disk on the side of greater pressure will be inclined upwardly at its outer edge, while the disk on the side of less pressure will incline downwardly at its outer edge. I claim 1. An aeroplane having a pair of elevator members, pivoted supports for said members arranged obliquely at opposite equal angles, a pressure influenced projection on each of said members to turn the latter, and means yieldingly restraining said members.

2. An aeroplane having a pair of elevator members,pivoted supports for said members arranged obliquely at opposite equal angles, a pressure influenced projection on each of said members to turn the latter, and means yieldingly connecting said members.

3. In an aeroplane, a supporting plane, an independently movable balance plane near one end thereof, said balance plane having a pressure plate extending at right angles therefrom, and a pivotal sup ort for said balance plane, said support lying at an upwardly inward inclination with respect to the supporting plane.

4. In an aeroplane,asupporting plane, a pair of balance planes disposed near opposite ends thereof, a rearward, vertical, pressure plate extending at right angles from each of said balance planes, and pivoted supports for said balance planes arranged obliquely at opposite equal angles, the inclination of said supports being upwardly inward with respect to the supporting plane.

Signed at the borough of Manhattan, in the city, county, and State of New York this 7th day of October, A. D. 1912.

THEODORE WINDEL.

\Vitnesses:

SADIE R. SEMLEAR, GERTRUDE E. CAFE. 

